In her Tuesday newsletter, Lily Belli relays the results of a Lookout pumpkin pie tasting, notes the closure of a downtown Santa Cruz pub and previews some coming attractions.
Local Business
Posted inFood & Drink
Lookout tasted 11 pumpkin pies in Santa Cruz County. These two are the best.
Lookout staffers taste-tested pumpkin pies from 11 Santa Cruz County bakeries and grocery stores, evaluating appearance, crust, filling and flavor to find the best options for Thanksgiving. In the end, two pies — one from a bakery and one available at many markets — stood apart.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
A new Scotts Valley arcade is betting on the enduring appeal of analog play
A new arcade in Scotts Valley is giving kids, parents and pinball enthusiasts a place to gather. Coin Drop Arcade, opened by former software engineers Kacey and John Lewis, features vintage and modern pinball machines, arcade games and plans for kids’ parties and leagues.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘The community’s living room’: Bookshop Santa Cruz celebrates 60 years of endurance
Bookshop Santa Cruz has been a fixture of the downtown area for six decades, weathering upheaval in the form of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the rise of chain bookstores at the turn of the 21st century and the COVID-19 pandemic. Store owner Casey Coonerty Protti said they owe everything to the people of Santa Cruz.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Santa Cruz County business: Seymour Center’s whale skeleton returns; Dungeness crab season delayed again
In her weekly roundup of Santa Cruz County business headlines, Jessica M. Pasko notes a milestone for the Westside’s beloved Ms. Blue, another delayed start for commercial Dungeness crab season, a boom in downtown Santa Cruz and plenty more names, numbers and dates to know.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Grey Bears’ expansion; progress for Soif and Manresa Bread; downtown Santa Cruz boom
Lily Belli’s wide-ranging Tuesday newsletter includes a groundbreaking for Grey Bears’ Kristina Mailliard Center for Healthy Seniors, updates on a pair of anticipated Santa Cruz food and drink businesses, a closer look at downtown’s resurgence and more.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
29 new businesses have opened in downtown Santa Cruz since 2025. Here’s why.
Downtown Santa Cruz has welcomed 29 new businesses since January 2025, with locally owned shops and restaurants helping revive a commercial district that struggled with nearly 40 empty storefronts post-pandemic. New housing, increased foot traffic and city programs designed to attract businesses are helping fuel the growth, with 11 more businesses on the horizon.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Two new independent bookstores bring fresh energy to Santa Cruz County – one for romantasy, one for adventure
The Burning Ember opens this week in downtown Santa Cruz, stocking romance and romantasy. Trailside Books is set to follow next month in Aptos Village, with shelves built around adventure, children’s books and local history.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Santa Cruz County business: Downtown Pops! seeks tenants; two new bookstores slated to open
In her weekly dispatch on Santa Cruz County business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on pop-up opportunities at a pair of Pacific Avenue spots, notes local participants in the ongoing indie bookstore renaissance and highlights names, dates and numbers to know.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Latest on Silver Spur’s move; Mane Kitchen & Cocktails turns 1; food-themed costume recs
Silver Spur’s co-owner fills Lily Belli in on the restaurant’s impending move to the former Jeffery’s, plus a martinis & blinis celebration in downtown Santa Cruz, new digs for Capitola’s Cork & Fork and plenty more in her Tuesday newsletter.